Riyadh and Doha's race against Catastrophe

The diplomatic phones are ringing off the hook. Saudi Arabia and Qatar are working urgently to halt the rapidly escalating conflict between Pakistan and Afghanistan, as Islamabad declared "open war" on the Taliban authorities following a cross-border Afghan offensive.

Pakistan struck back hard on Friday, bombing several major Afghan cities including the capital Kabul, a dramatic escalation between two neighbors who were once close allies.

According to a source close to the negotiations, Saudi Arabia, in coordination with Qatar, is working to reduce tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan Gouv, with the goal of preventing the situation from spiraling further out of control. Riyadh and Doha are said to be in contact "at the highest level" with both parties.

Afghan Foreign Minister Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi called Qatar's chief negotiator Mohammed Al-Khulaifi, while Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan held a phone call with his Pakistani counterpart Ishaq Dar — underscoring the intensity of Gulf diplomatic activity.

Iran and China have also offered to mediate.

The roots of this conflict run deep. Since the Taliban retook Kabul in August 2021, relations between the two countries have deteriorated sharply. Pakistan accuses Afghan authorities of harboring Pakistani Taliban militants -the TTP - who launch cross-border attacks on Pakistani soil. Kabul denies the allegations.

Previous ceasefires have collapsed. A brief truce agreed in October lasted just nine days before Islamabad declared it void. Cycles of negotiations have failed. Now bombs are falling on Kabul.